ANTENNAS AND WAVE PROPAGATION

ANTENNA:

 An antenna is a specialized transducer that

converts radio-frequency (RF) fields into
alternating current (AC) or vice-versa.
 An antenna is a device for sending or
receiving electromagnetic waves
Antenna parameters:

• Radiation pattern
• Efficiency
• Bandwidth
• Directivity
• Gain
Types of antennas:
 Log Periodic Antennas
 Wire Antennas
 Travelling Wave Antennas
 Microwave Antennas
 Reflector Antennas
Log-Periodic Antennas

It is a multi-element, directional narrow beam

antenna that works on a wide range of
frequencies.
This antenna is made of a series of dipoles
placed along the antenna axis at different space
intervals of time followed by a logarithmic funct
ion of frequency.
 Types of log period antennas
Bow-Tie Antennas
Log-Periodic Dipole Array
Bow-Tie Antennas

• A bow-tie antenna is also known as

Biconical antenna or Butterfly antenna.
• Biconical antenna is an
omnidirectional wide-band antenna.

A bow-tie slot antenna is designed for ra

dar applications.
Log-Periodic Dipole Array
• These dipole-array antennas reduce in
size from the back end to the front end
.
• During this operation, as the frequency
varies, a smooth transition takes place
along the array of the elements, which
leads to form an active region.
2. Wire Antennas

• Wire antennas are also known as linear o

r curved antennas. These antennas are
very simple, cheap and are used in a wid
e range of applications.
• These antennas are
further subdivided into four types
Short Dipole Antenna
Dipole Antenna
Monopole Antenna
Loop Antenna
Dipole Antenna
• The dipole antenna consists of two metall
ic rods through which current and voltag
e flow.
• This current and voltage flow makes an
electromagnetic wave and the radio
signals get radiated.
• This are mainly used in FM
broadcasting.
Short Dipole Antenna
• It is the simplest of all types of antennas.
• This antenna is an open circuited wire
in which short denotes “ relative to a
wavelength”
• A Dipole is considered as short if the
length of the radiating element is less tha
n a tenth of the wavelength.
• L<λ/10
•
Monopole Antenna
• A monopole antenna is half of a simple
dipole antenna located over a grounded
plane.
• the total power radiated is half that of a
dipole.
• The directivity of these antennas become
double compared to the dipole antennas
.

GSM, Bluetooth, and UWB are main applications

Loop Antenna
 A loop antenna is a closed circuit
radio antenna.
 Loop antennas are available in differen
t shapes like circular, elliptical,
rectangular, etc.
 They are widely used in communicatio
n links.
3. Travelling Wave Antennas

• The antenna in which the standing wave

does not exist along the length of the
antenna is called traveling wave antenna.
• These antennas are of two types

1. Helical Antennas
2. Yagi-Uda Antennas
Helical Antennas
• Helical antennas are also known as helix
antennas.
• As it is a traveling wave antenna, the curren
t and phase vary continuously along the
helical antenna.

• Because of their unique and special

properties, helical antennas are widely used
in simple and practical applications such as
in radios and satellite communications.
Yagi-Uda Antennas

• A Yagi antenna, also known as a Yagi-Ud

a array or simply a Yagi, is a directional
antenna commonly used in communicati
on when a frequency is above 10 MHz.
4. Microwave Antennas

• The antennas operating at microwave

frequencies are known as microwave
antennas.
• These antennas are used in a wide range
of applications.
• These antennas are classified into two
types
• Rectangular Micro strip Antennas
• Planar Inverted-F Antennas
5. Reflector Antennas

• An antenna reflector is a device that reflec

telectromagnetic waves.
• These antennas are classified into two
types
• Corner Reflector Antenna
• Parabolic-Reflector Antenna
• Advantages of Antenna Types
•
➨Dipole Antenna:They are cheap and
exhibits good gain.
➨Loop Antenna:They are cheap and
not
easily de-tuned by hand movements.
➨Helical Antenna: It is very directive
antenna and provides good amount of gai
n.
➨Microstrip Antenna:They are very simpl
e and chip antenna. They are used in smar
t phone due to their thin structure.
ANTENNA APPLICATIONS
• They are used in Radio Astronomy.
• antenna is used to cure breast cancer.
• Antennas can be extremely small. iPhone
has several antennas all built into that
small case.
• Mobile satellite communication
• Used in GPS tracking
• Antennas are also used in Remote
sensing and in defense radar.
largest antenna in the world
Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope's (FAST) giant dish, China's state-run

World's Largest Radio Telescope

world's smallest antenna

Developed by Indian scientist

Chakraborty, a PhD student